Guide to Liberty University Nurse Practitioner Clinical Placements and Preceptor Search

Liberty University uses a collaborative clinical placement model where NP students and the practicum team work together to secure a clinical site. The School of Nursing provides support, reviews qualifications, approves sites, and maintains affiliation agreements. Students may be required to travel, meet additional onboarding requirements, and complete all compliance steps before beginning practicum courses.

TL;DR: Guide to Liberty University Nurse Practitioner Clinical Placements and Preceptor Search

• Liberty University uses a collaborative practicum model that includes guidance and support from the practicum team throughout the placement process.
• All clinical placements are reviewed and approved by Liberty University’s School of Nursing to ensure alignment with advanced practice nursing and APRN licensure standards.
• Clinical experiences may take place across a variety of settings and formats, including in-person and, for PMHNP students, approved telehealth hours, depending on program requirements and availability.
• Program-related site requirements, onboarding steps, or associated costs may vary by clinical site.
• Some students choose to explore additional options, such as creating a free NPHub account, to view available preceptors for Family Nurse Practitioner and Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner clinical hours in their area.

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Disclaimer: NPHub is an independent, private service that helps students find vetted preceptors, handle documentation, and stay on track for graduation and licensure. NPHub is not affiliated with or endorsed by Liberty University. This article is intended to share general, informational guidance based on our experience helping NP students from hundreds of NP programs secure clinical placements, along with publicly available information. If you are a student at Liberty University, NPHub can still support you in finding preceptors.

If you’re like most Liberty University NP students, there’s a moment when you pause your coursework, look at your practicum checklist, and think: How am I supposed to pull all of this together?

Liberty University is committed to academic excellence, ensuring that students receive top-tier education and training throughout their programs.

You’re keeping up with clinical psychopharmacology, differential diagnosis, advanced nursing practice, and everything your faculty expects from you. You’ve submitted your official college transcripts, met Liberty University School of Nursing admission requirements, cleared your standardized background check, and stayed on top of every online course.

Many students have already completed a bachelor's degree as part of their academic journey before entering the NP program.

But now the clinical rotation phase is here.

As you move into the practicum phase, your role as an NP student naturally expands. In addition to coursework, this stage involves understanding practicum requirements, reviewing program guidelines, coordinating with clinical partners, and ensuring compliance with your NP program standards.

Liberty University’s collaborative placement model is designed to support students throughout this process, combining university guidance with student engagement in identifying potential preceptors within their community. Many students find that getting organized early and familiarizing themselves with available options helps the process feel more manageable and well-paced.

For students who would like greater visibility into current preceptor availability, tools such as NPHub offer a way to explore FNP and PMHNP preceptor options by location. This can help students plan ahead and stay aligned with practicum timelines.

In this guide, we’ll walk through how Liberty University approaches practicum placements, outline key considerations for planning your clinical experience, and highlight resources students commonly use as they move forward with confidence.

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How Practicum Placements Work at Liberty University

Liberty University uses a collaborative practicum placement model that blends university support with student involvement.

This structure applies to the Family Nurse Practitioner program, which emphasizes family nursing as a core component, the Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner track, the Doctor of Nursing Practice, and Liberty University’s post graduate certificate options.

Both certificate program and postgraduate certificate pathways are available for advanced specialization. Regardless of your specialty, the process follows the same framework.

• You work with the practicum placement team throughout the process.The practicum team helps students search for suitable clinical sites in primary care, mental health, women’s health, children’s health, and other community populations. Students are encouraged to bring forward preceptors from local clinics, hospitals, private practices, or healthcare providers they already know. The team evaluates these options to determine if they meet academic and professional requirements under the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education and the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges.

• Every preceptor must meet advanced practice nursing standards.Liberty University faculty review your suggested sites to ensure each location aligns with advanced nursing practice, nursing leadership expectations, practicum courses, and the competencies required for APRN licensure. This includes verifying credentials, ensuring preceptors can supervise differential diagnosis, psychotherapeutic theories, clinical psychopharmacology training, and evidence based care. All sites must also meet the requirements listed in the student handbook and Liberty University’s licensure programs.

If you ever want to move faster while you wait for site approval create a free NPHub account, check active preceptors in your specialty and secure clinical partners that meet all graduate-level requirements for Liberty’s NP programs.

• Travel is often required for the right clinical match.Because availability changes each semester and preceptors with the right specialty can be limited, students may need to travel beyond their immediate community. Some students complete practicum hours outside their city to meet practicum requirements for FNP or PMHNP certification. If a student declines a site due to distance, they must identify another location that fits their program’s needs.
• Telehealth sites are only approved for PMHNP practicum hours.Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner students at Liberty can complete up to 50 percent of their clinical hours in telehealth settings. Telehealth hours are not permitted for Family Nurse Practitioner students, who must complete all hands on training in approved in-person settings to meet state and national certification regulations.
• Students must complete all compliance steps before they can begin.This includes submitting a standardized background check, immunization records, maintaining an active RN license issued in their state, completing any site-specific onboarding, and meeting all required elements listed in the School of Nursing’s academic and professional requirements. Students are expected to review the student code, maintain professionalism, and complete all paperwork accurately. Liberty’s online nursing degrees are designed to meet educational requirements for licensure and practice in various states, including clinical practice hours and state-specific restrictions.
• Any practicum facility fees must be paid by the student.Some clinical agencies require onboarding costs, training fees, or additional screenings. These are handled between the student and the site. The university cannot override facility policies related to fees or onboarding.

Liberty’s collaborative model gives students support, but it still requires initiative. Many students appreciate the involvement of the practicum team, but if you want options you can review immediately while you move through Liberty’s placement process, create your free NPHub account and check currently available preceptors for FNP, PMHNP and more specialty practicum courses. It brings clarity to a process that often feels uncertain.

The Current Reality of Securing an NP Clinical Site

Even with Liberty University’s collaborative practicum model, most NP students still feel the pressure that comes with securing a clinical site. Liberty University offers a range of resources and support centers dedicated to promoting academic success during the practicum search, helping students navigate these challenges.

The truth is that the struggle is happening across the U.S. and nearly every university, medical school affiliate, or school of nursing is fighting for the same limited pool of qualified preceptors.

Nursing professionals are competing for placements in community clinics, women’s health practices, mental health centers, and primary care settings that are already overwhelmed.

And many healthcare providers are supervising multiple nursing students from several institutions at once, which means fewer open seats for each semester’s cohort. And that creates a ripple effect.

Responses slow down. Schedules become unpredictable.Clinical hours feel like they are slipping out of your control.

You keep checking your inbox. You keep refreshing the practicum paperwork portal. You try to stay focused on your online courses, clinical psychopharmacology readings, and nursing seminar assignments, but it is hard to think about anything other than where your practicum is going to happen.

You know you need a site that meets APRN licensure standards. You know you need preceptors who can support advanced nursing practice. You know delays can affect your PMHNP certification exam or FNP graduation timeline.

This pressure is real. Students feel it every fall semester and every spring semester. And there are moments where you want more visibility. More reassurance. More control over your timeline.

For those who want to explore additional information while continuing to work within Liberty’s practicum process, creating a free NPHub account allows students to view preceptors who are currently accepting NP students. Many NP students use this as a way to stay informed and consider options that align with their practicum requirements.

Understanding the clinical placement landscape can help students make confident, well-informed decisions. With a clear view of available resources, students can choose the approach that best supports their academic plan, whether that means continuing within the university process or incorporating additional tools to stay organized and on schedule.

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How NPHub Helps Liberty Students Move Forward With Practicum Placement

By the time NP students reach the practicum phase, most have already experienced the waiting, the follow-ups, the uncertainty, and the constant pressure of trying to secure a site that meets graduate-level practicum requirements.

NPHub shows you preceptors who are already prepared to work with Family Nurse Practitioner and Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner students. These are clinical partners who understand practicum expectations, APRN licensure requirements, advanced nursing practice standards, and the level of supervision Liberty expects during practicum courses.

You are not guessing, hoping, or cold-calling clinics. You are seeing real availability in your specialty and your location.

NPHub supports Liberty University students in three important ways.

It gives you visibility.
You can look at active preceptors who match Liberty’s practicum requirements, including FNP, PMHNP, pediatric, internal medicine, community health, and adult primary care settings. This helps you understand which specialties are open in your area before delays affect your semester.

It speeds up the search.
Many online students at Liberty University find it difficult to identify preceptors in private practices, community clinics, or mental health facilities on their own. NPHub removes weeks of uncertainty by letting you browse available placements, compare clinical environments, and choose someone who fits your goals in advanced practice nursing.

It guides you through the logistics.
Once you choose a preceptor, NPHub’s team helps you organize key details so you can move smoothly into Liberty’s approval process. Students often ask for help with contacting the site, understanding practicum documentation, verifying preceptor credentials, or preparing for the student handbook requirements. You do not have to figure these steps out alone.

Moving Forward With Your Clinical Placements

The practicum phase is one of the most demanding parts of becoming a nurse practitioner. You are balancing online coursework, mastering advanced nursing concepts, staying aligned with Liberty University’s practicum requirements, and trying to secure the clinical hours you need to graduate. It is a lot to hold at once, and feeling stressed at this stage does not mean you are unprepared. It means you are human.

You are still moving forward. You are still building the skills that will shape your career as a Family Nurse Practitioner or Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner. And the work you are putting in now is the same dedication you will one day bring to your patients.

After taking full advantage of all the guidance and resources available through Liberty University, some students choose to explore additional ways to stay informed about their options. In those cases, creating a free NPHub account allows students to find a secure vetted preceptors and support continued planning around practicum timelines.

Reaching this stage of your program reflects the time, effort, and commitment you’ve already invested in your NP journey. Staying organized and informed as you move forward helps reinforce the strong foundation Liberty University is helping you build for advanced nursing practice.

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Frequently Asked Questions About Liberty University NP Practicum Placements

1. Does Liberty University find clinical placements for NP students?

The practicum team assists students by identifying potential clinical sites alongside NP who participate in the search because they understand their local healthcare communities best.

2. What documents do I need before Liberty approves my practicum site?

Usually, NP dtudents must meet all compliance and academic requirements, including an active RN license issued in the correct state, immunization records, a standardized background check, official college transcripts for admission verification, and completion of all items listed for practicum requirements.

3. Can I suggest my own preceptor or clinical site?

Policies and procedures regarding proposed preceptors or clinical sites can vary by program and practicum term. Students should confirm current requirements directly with Liberty University and follow the guidance provided by their program regarding submissions, review, and approval processes.

4. Will I need to travel for my practicum?

Possibly. Due to limited preceptor availability, students may be placed in clinical settings outside their immediate region. This is especially common in specialties such as psychiatric mental health, women’s health, and family nursing.

5. How do I know if my clinical site meets Liberty’s academic and professional standards?

Clinical sites and preceptors must align with program expectations, accreditation considerations, and professional nursing practice standards. Because criteria can depend on the program, location, and practicum term, students should rely on the most current guidance provided by Liberty University to determine whether a proposed site is appropriate and eligible for approval.

9. Can online NP students at Liberty complete practicum hours in their home state?

Depends on the requirements from Liberty University for online NP students. NP students are responsible for understanding licensure program requirements in their state and obtaining information through the university advising team.

5. Can NPHub help Liberty University NP students find preceptors?

NPHub does not have a direct partnership with Liberty University, however, Liberty University NP students may choose to work with NPHub for preceptor support, and NPHub’s clinical placement team assists in identifying preceptors that align with the student’s program requirements and applicable academic and licensure standards. All clinical sites and preceptors remain subject to Liberty University’s review and approval process.

Key Terms and Definitions

• Practicum Placement
  The supervised clinical experience Liberty University NP students must complete in approved healthcare settings to meet MSN, DNP, or post-graduate certificate requirements.
• Preceptor
  A licensed advanced practice provider who supervises Liberty NP students during practicum courses. Must meet APRN licensure standards and Liberty University School of Nursing criteria.
• Clinical Hours
  Time spent providing hands-on patient care under a qualified preceptor. Required for Family Nurse Practitioner and Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner students.
• Telehealth Practicum (PMHNP Only)
  Virtual patient care hours allowed for up to 50 percent of Liberty University’s PMHNP practicum requirements.
• Compliance Requirements
  Items students must complete before starting practicum, including an active RN license issued in the correct state, background check, immunization records, and site-specific onboarding.
• Affiliation Agreement
  A contract between Liberty University and a clinical site that must be active before a student can begin practicum training.
• APRN Licensure Requirements
  Standards students must meet to become licensed as advanced practice registered nurses. Practicum experiences must support these competencies.
• Clinical Psychopharmacology
  A core PMHNP focus involving medication management and treatment of mental disorders under a qualified psychiatric mental health preceptor.
• Evidence Based Care
  Clinical decision-making based on research, best practices, and advanced nursing research taught throughout Liberty’s NP programs.

About the Author

• NPHub Staff
  At NPHub, we live and breathe clinical placements. Our team is made up of nurse practitioners, clinical coordinators, placement advisors, and former students who’ve been through the process themselves. We work directly with NP students across the country to help them secure high-quality preceptorships and graduate on time with confidence.
• Last updated
  Dec 26, 2025
• Fact-checked by
  NPHub Clinical Placement Experts & Student Support Team
• Sources and references
  
  • https://www.liberty.edu/online/nursing/doctoral/dnp/family-nurse-practitioner/

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